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Author: graubergerkyle@gmail.com
Give the Gift of Play: Exclusive Holiday Special
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The Changing State of Golf
Greetings Golfers,
This past week, I read two very interesting articles in golf magazines. I have the links right here:
https://www.golfdigest.com/
www.golfwrx.com/477002/match-
The first one is a link to a GOLF DIGEST article called:
9 Things That Have to Change in Golf. When I first saw the headline, I figured that I wouldn’t agree with most of the 9 things. Wrong. I think that I agree with all 9. Some I don’t really care about, but some I’m pretty passionate about.
The second link is to an article in GOLF WRX. It’s written by a guy who grew up in Bloomington. Looking at his name – Laz Versalles – he must be related to former Twins’ shortstop Zoilo Versalles. Laz conducts a test where he plays with a set of clubs similar to what he had 30 years ago … against the set he uses now. I think you’ll get a kick out of it.
Both articles are about the present state of golf. As you’ll see … some things are better, and some things need changing.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Mindset
Greetings Golfers,
Usually when we close for the season, we still have good enough weather to complete projects on the golf course. This year we probably can’t … so I won’t tell you what we have in the works. Hopefully, they can be finished next spring – maybe even before we open.
But, fall projects, whether completed or not … we had a very good golf year in 2017. And I would like to thank everyone involved – staff and golfers … vendors and investors … local and national golf organizations … and the media.
Though we had a very good year … we are in a “growth” mindset, not a “fixed” mindset. A new book “Mindset” by Carol Dweck is about the difference in two mindsets. The “fixed” mindset is stuck in who you “are” … not who can become. The “fixed” mindset believes that you can’t grow … you just are who you are. If you have a great year – you rest on your laurels. If you have a bad year – you give up.
When NASA was selecting applicants for astronauts, they rejected people with pure histories of success and instead selected people who had had significant failures and bounced back from them.
Think about golf. Isn’t golf about constantly learning from failure? How about running a business? How about just living?
I think this relates to power. You know that famous saying by Lord Acton: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I disagree. I think power “exposes”. What I mean is that when someone changes after they get power … they didn’t really change … they could finally be who they really are.
Of course people have flashes of obnoxious change … and the younger they are, the more I give them a break. And, I give everyone a little time to bask in new power or glory or money. But, I expect them to come back to earth. If they don’t, now I know who they really are.
Which goes back to the mindset of either “fixed” or “growth”.
Here’s a pretty gross quote from a French executive named Pierre Chevalier “We are not a nation of effort. After all, if you have savior-faire (a mixture of know-how and cool), you should do things effortlessly.”
That’s mind-boggling. I believe in effort. I believe in growing. Maybe that’s old-fashioned. Maybe that’s not cool. But I can’t imagine living without trying.
Well, we had a great year. And next year will be better. Because we’ll keep trying.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
The End is Near
Greetings Golfers,
“The end is near”. Isn’t that what some people are always warning? They probably aren’t talking about the golf season.
Well I am, and the end is near – very near. In fact, we’re closing for the season on Sunday night.
Hopefully, we’ll be open today, Saturday, and Sunday. As you know, snow is supposedly on the way. But, as you also know, those predictions are not 100% accurate.
So, hopefully we’ll see you before we close on Sunday night.
If not, hopefully we’ll see you at our big Christmas Sale on Saturday, December 2.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
“Play” Golf
Greetings Golfers,
Sometimes we forget that we “play” golf. Golf is a form of play for most of us. Golf is a form of work if you’re making your living at it. But, most of us aren’t Tour Players. So, let’s make sure that golf is more play and less work. I’m not saying to not practice or “work” on your golf game … I’m saying to play golf with more of an attitude of it’s fun to do – not a chore to get over with.
Below is a blog from Phil Blackmar. Phil was a PGA Tour Player for many years … not a star, but a very good player. His blog is about how he found the joy in playing golf again. He’d actually quit playing golf. But, one day he went out to play with just a 4 iron, and rediscovered the joy of shotmaking – not trying to make a perfect, robotic golf swing.
I hope you enjoy his blog as much as I did.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
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People continually ask me how much I play golf and my answer has been “very little” for a long time. After quitting the regular tour in 2000, unless I had to participate at an outing, I didn’t play at all for about 5 years. Then in 2006, out of work and needing to make a living, I embarked on the Pga tour Champions which lasted about 5 years until I quit again. Instead of being fun, the game had turned into a means to an end, an end which was quickly looking more and more like the Bellevue Psych ward.
Growing up, through college, mini tour years and into the beginning of my tour career, golf had been a game. Sure, to be honest, I probably enjoyed the competitive side of playing for money the most, but I still approached it as a game. Then, sometime early in my 16 year Pga tour career, the game became drudgery.
I had attributed that metamorphosis to the stress of providing for my family with a long game I felt was inferior to most of those I played against. For me, at six foot 7 inches, I had the ability to hit the occasional spectacular shot but I lacked the talent to replicate shots that seemed so easy for others. It wasn’t until recently playing a one club match with Craig Perks, Todd Green and Gary Christian on a windy Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville, Fl., that I realized what I had done to take the fun out of the game that I used to love to play.
One club in hand, we scampered around 20 something holes at a municipal course that was closed due to heavy morning rains. There were no putters, no wedges and we played from approximately 6500 yards while giving each other grief at every opportunity. I had a blast taking a 4 iron and trying to shape iron shots, bunker shots, chips, putts and all. It was a test to find a way to manipulate a 4 iron to do what it wasn’t designed to do. Todd won the cash with an in your face in the dark birdie on the last hole.
That night, reflecting on how much fun the day had been, it dawned on me why I now hate playing golf so much. In my pursuit to get better on tour, I had sought the advice of several highly regarded instructors to see if they could help. That’s when I became more conscious of my swing, the result and less of the game itself. While I already knew that, it dawned on me that golf used to be a game that I “played”, not one that I solved. At its most basic level, back when it was fun, for me the shot created the swing.
What does that mean? It means de-lofting the face at impact and not getting too steep into the ball so the flight is flat and penetrates the wind. It means taking speed off to keep from hitting a flier from the fairway in damp conditions. It means opening the face a little to take a few yards off a short iron to hit it the right distance. It means flighting down a wedge. It means learning to control the flight of a wedge that doesn’t have perfect new grooves. It means moving the ball up in the stance to hit a long iron high enough in the air to try and get it to stop. It means curving the ball intentionally one way so that it doesn’t curve the other way. It means manipulating something one way or another to solve the riddle that the shot presents.
A stock swing born in a laboratory taken to the course to which the player commits regardless the situation illustrates the swing creating the shot. But when some part of the swing or part of address changes to fit the pictured shot, the shot is contributing to and to some extent creating the swing. That night I realized, that while I still made adjustments occasionally on the course, my primary concern had become making a swing and I had quit playing a game. And while I knew this already, I realized I didn’t fully appreciate the depth of what had been slapping me in the face all these years. Where there is satisfaction in engineering a solution, there is joy in artistry. More than that, satisfaction in engineering only takes place with a good result, but there can be fun in a “watch this” sort of attitude that is willing to try to play a shot a certain way even though it’s not pulled off. To create a couple of shots in a round with an artistic mind set can bring you back again and again and again. Maybe this is part of the reason for Top Golf’s success.
I will save the obvious continuation of this topic regarding today’s game for another blog, but realize this; I went home the next day and took 10 wooden headed drivers and three woods to the range to see which pair felt the best. I then asked my friend Doug Desive, the pro at my course, which ball might fit hitting a wooden driver and he gave me an option. While it makes no sound when its hit, I found a ball that flies just fine with the wooden headed woods and still feels decent with a wedge. Not only that, I can curve the ball both ways now where playing a draw with the new drivers has been nearly impossible for me. Next, I have an old set of blades that were made for me back in the 80’s which have never been shafted. They look so tiny, like the woods, and shafts are on the way, even for a one-iron. The 60 is out as are the hybrids.
Why the change in equipment? The tiny sweet spots require me to think about solid contact and not just making a swing. The long irons require manipulating to get them into the air. The old small grooves will hit fliers from lies today’s clubs do not. The ball will curve more than the top wonder balls allowing for more options. Taking out the 60 means I will have to be more creative with a 56. I realize I’m not going to play as well as I could with today’s equipment, but my approach is going to be to paint pictures rather than assemble nuts and bolts. I’m moving up a tee and playing at a length that fits being an artist and doesn’t require me to “max out” my speed. From now on, I’m going to play a game.
——————————
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Jury Duty
Greetings Golfers,
Life is seldom La-la-land. Whether it’s weather like the latest hurricanes or the daily strife of living with other people … there’s always problems to deal with. And, in a civilized country, hopefully we’ve put systems in place to deal with problems.
One such system is our legal system. A jury consisting of one’s peers listening to the arguments of the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney, and overseen by a judge. Hopefully it works better than vigilante justice.
Well, I was recently summoned to be a part of our justice system – I was called for jury duty. After waiting for the better part of the day to be called to a case (I was one of the last ones left in the huge waiting room), I was called to a criminal case. And then after a few days of being examined by the judge and then the two attorneys, about half of us were “excused”.
Did I speak up and give my opinions while we potential jurors were being interviewed by the judge and attorneys?
Of course! Did I say outrageous things so I wouldn’t be selected? Not at all. October is the perfect time of year for me to participate on a jury. Not only do I feel it’s my civic duty, but I thought the whole process was really interesting.
We were asked if we had any preliminary opinions of the defendant before the trial started. I took the microphone and said “Of course – that’s human nature. We all knew he’d been arrested, and that through years of living, we had assumptions about him due to how he looked. But, we have all dealt with overcoming first impressions or rumors about people all of our lives. And, isn’t that the point of a trial? Listening to both sides and making a rational, fair decision according to the law?”
I’m pretty sure that my explanation was not appreciated. My tour of duty has been ended. Well, fall golf is the best … and now I have a chance to play a little bit.
So, here’s some info about fall golf at Deer Run GC: Fall rates began October the first. Senior Rates for everyone, every day, all day. We’re punching the greens October 16th. And probably closing on October 31st.
I’m proud of America, and I’m proud of our legal system. I’m also proud of DRGC and look forward to playing golf the next few weeks. Hope you do too.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
You’ve Gotta Have Heart
Greetings Golfers,
They did it. They lost over 100 games last year … and this year they made the playoffs. Of course I’m referring to the Minnesota Twins – the former Washington Senators.
The playoffs for them is really only a playoff game against the other wild card team – the NY Yankees. A classic battle of Good vs. Evil.
In fact, this battle goes back so far that there was even a famous play/movie made about it in the 1950s … I’m sure you’ve heard of “Damn Yankees”. The main character sells his soul to the Devil so that his beloved Washington Senators can beat the hated Yankees.
You would have thought moving to Minnesota almost 60 years ago would have broken the hex that the Yankees have over the Senators … but it doesn’t seem to have gone away.
But maybe this year is the year. The song “Heart” is my favorite of the show. You’d know if you’d heard it. It goes: “You’ve gotta have heart … miles and miles and miles of heart … “
Well this year’s Senators/Twins do have miles of heart.
Let’s hope Tuesday they can break the hex without having to sell their souls.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Athletic, not Mechanical
Greetings Golfers,
Last week a PGA Tour player played his round in 1:36 and had his best score of the week (69). I’ll take a wild guess and say that he wasn’t taking a bunch of practice swings and playing mechanically.
That’s my new mantra – “Play athletically – not mechanically”.
A good golf swing is a sweep from in-to-out. Everything you do should help make that happen … from set-up to follow-through. But, it should be athletic – not mechanical.
Most players don’t sweep from in-to-out … they lift up the club and beat down on the ball with their shoulders. Don’t believe me? … look at the gouging divots on the tee boxes … and those are from a driver – not a wedge.
Learning that sweeping action doesn’t have to be mechanical and rigid. Modern golf swings are too rigid. Old school players like Hogan and Snead were always in motion.
Take a look at this swing of Hogan from 1948:
https://www.facebook.com/
How cool is that? Look at that waggle! If you want to copy good swings … watch video of Hogan, Snead, etc. They could feel their swing in their waggle. Try it – you’ll like it.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Simple, but not Easy
Greetings Golfers,
Was talking the other day with one of our Starters. He’s a very insightful fellow, and I really enjoy our chats. We were talking about running the golf operation and trying to focus on doing the right thing. As he said so well “It may be simple, but it’s not easy”. Yes.
Trying to do the right thing is seldom easy. Here’s a great example. While driving to the golf course the other day, my dog Harvey was in the back seat. And, a squirrel ran out in front of my car and started going back & forth in the road … so I had to hit the brakes harder than I wanted to because I didn’t have a chance to swerve around a freaking out squirrel. Because I hit the brakes so hard, Harvey went flying around the backseat. I’m sure that Harvey thought I was being a jerk. But, I was doing what I had to do, so that I wouldn’t run over the squirrel (I didn’t).
This happens to me all the time at the golf course. The other day a guy complained that his round was slow. I asked how long did it take – he said “Four hours”. I replied that is not slow. He countered that he had to wait a lot. So I said that waiting doesn’t mean slow. We want four hour rounds. Four hours is fair. He might want to play in three hours, but he doesn’t have the right to make everyone else play in three hours. Same with the guy who wants to play in five hours. He doesn’t have the right to back up the golf course. To those guys, I’m being a jerk. No, I’m trying not to run over the squirrel … I’m trying to do the right thing.
In fact, the other day, I had to kick out a slow 4some. They were on the 7th hole and already had the course backed up to the first tee box. They thought letting people play through would solve the problem. Wrong.
It may be simple … but it’s not easy.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com